


"Relatively Simple"

by ChelseasDeadSmile



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: I Hate Math, Similarity Index, This Is STUPID, Transfigurations, Trasfigurations Is Like Math
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-14
Updated: 2014-09-14
Packaged: 2018-02-17 08:45:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2303684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChelseasDeadSmile/pseuds/ChelseasDeadSmile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sugarcoating something that I'd rather not know about.</p>
            </blockquote>





	"Relatively Simple"

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first **successful** short story about Transfiguration. The other one wasn't as successful as this. I passed this assignment though...somehow...

“Alright Caty, focus – the task should be…relatively simple” I muttered trying to coach myself while looking at the chalkboard in the Transfiguration classroom.  “Relatively simple” was sugarcoating it, and then inserting a bow just to make myself feel better; I have never been good at math – at least nothing that didn’t involve addition -, and, I should tell you this now, I was a hairsbreadth away from packing my school bag up, shooting Professor Prince an apology before bolting out the door never to be seen again.  Though, for some reason, I was still sitting there meaning my brain and body weren’t in sync which I couldn’t tell was a good or bad thing until the Professor himself walked in.

I decided it had to be a good thing as he yelled at a Slytherin First Year for jettisoning out of the classroom like his hair was on fire, but, finally, I resolved to thinking that if I just paid him my full attention this whole problem would work itself out as the lesson went on.

While he was teaching, I was learning how important the similarity index was as it told each and every one of my Yearmates within the room that, if one object has enough similarities between itself and the object we wish to transfigure it into, it will be relatively easy to switch them back and forth with no problems.  For a transfiguration between a matchstick and a needle it should be fairly simple as the two have little differences separating them from being able to switch.

Since we were First Years, it’d be more difficult for us as we have never transfigured anything in our lives thus far so it’d take more concentration and willpower for us to be able to handle switching the matchstick to a needle, and then back again.  I bit both my lips as I started thinking of how exactly I was going to be able to balance my concentration with my willpower as I need to be able to shut the whole classes words out to focus on my own, but I had a notable temper so I knew my frustrations would come out and destroy my concentration.

‘Just remain calm, and everything will figure itself out – there are infinite possibilities in being able to get it to transfigure’ I thought to myself wanting to make sure that my impatience didn’t come out at an inopportune moment.  He then went on to tell us that the matchstick and needle both have several universal connections, and then he went around the classroom asking random students about what type of universal connection that the matchstick and needle had.  I knew that it had to be the “Touch” connections as none of the others were plausible connections for these two very different objects.

Then it came time for us to actually put what we’ve learned to use, and try to turn our matchsticks into needles.  I knew I needed to expect failure the first few tries, because it was only plausible to get something wrong first without practicing.  The first time I tried I only got the matchstick head to turn into the loop before I picked another matchstick up and tried again – this time I was able to transform everything, but the head of the matchstick.  ‘Keep calm, and focused – don’t pay attention to anyone around you, and don’t let simple failures get to you’ I thought coaching myself into not letting my rising anger get to me.

It would take nearly six matchsticks before I found the perfect balance between my concentration and my willpower –as I had forgotten about willpower the first three times I was trying-, and finally got the matchstick to turn into a full metal needle including the sharp end. 

I would believe, in able to achieve transfiguration more easily, I would need to view transfiguration more as a puzzle than a complex math problem, because, viewing it as complex, only makes it more harder on yourself than you should let it be.  View it as a puzzle lets you, mentally, put the puzzle pieces of your concentration and willpower into a bigger picture allowing you to see the transformation as it should look like in the end.


End file.
